Borough President James Oddo is pleased to announce that Child Mind Institute (CMI) – the children’s mental health facility which launched a groundbreaking research program on Staten Island called the Healthy Brain Network (HBN) back in 2015 – has obtained the financing necessary to maintain a presence on Staten Island thanks to funding provided by the de Blasio Administration.

This program collects information on how children think, feel, and learn, and also collects data from many sources (including, but not limited to, neuropsychological testing, IQ testing, EEGs and functional MRI scans) in order to create the largest biorepository of information on children's mental health. The goal is to identify new ways to diagnose and treat mental health disorders in children and adolescents, using a biological approach.

CMI/HBN on Staten Island was only funded for a five year period. Without further funding, its doors would have closed on Staten Island as originally planned, and they would have moved to their Harlem location, in order to focus on recruiting children and families from other boroughs. Staten Island was in danger of losing a unique and valuable resource that provides free, comprehensive mental health screenings and evaluations for our community. At the request of Borough President Oddo to Mayor de Blasio, City Hall agreed to fund the Child Mind Institute in order for them to continue to operate on Staten Island.

Borough President Oddo is also pleased to announce his office has been working closely with top administrators and the Department of Pediatrics at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) to enable the co-location of CMI/HBN at their outpatient pediatric ambulatory center.

“As you can imagine, had we lost these valuable services it would have left a huge gap in our community, since it is highly unlikely that many – or any – of our families would have traveled to Harlem for twelve hours of screening. The methods we used to obtain this funding from City Hall were extensive and varied, and in the end the Mayor came through,” said Borough President James Oddo. “Mental health and learning disorders are real, common and treatable, but the majority of children don’t get the care they need. The number of children screened through the CMI/HBN represents not just the children who received needed evaluations, but also their families who were searching for answers. Far too many children and adolescents simply don’t get the treatment they need, which is why we did whatever it took in order to help obtain funding to continue their important work right here on Staten Island.

“Reading Dr. Warren Farrell’s book ‘The Boy Crisis’ reaffirmed our belief in the importance of fighting for these resources and strengthened our resolve to not allow this critical work to come to an end. Councilman Joe Borelli, an early supporter of our Boy Crisis work, stepped up to be the City Council sponsor for this money in the recently adopted city budget. Thanks must also go to Emma Wolfe, Chief of Staff to the Mayor, without whose behind the scenes work and support this would not have happened.”

“In New York City, we recognize that there is no health without mental health. Failing to invest in diagnosis and treatment for kids means missed opportunities to improve people’s lives early on. I applaud Borough President Oddo’s commitment to the mental health of Staten Islanders and am glad to know kids and their families will continue having a much-needed resource to get the screenings and help they need,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“I’m so glad we were able to ensure that the Child Mind Institute remains on Staten Island. The free screenings provided by this program have been positively affecting the lives of thousands of children and their parents over the last 5 years. Too often, we have to travel and endure long commutes with our children because of a lack of available local resources,” said City Councilmember Joe Borelli, “the funding BP Oddo and I were able to secure will keep this resource right here and available to our community.”

In just under five years on Staten Island, the CMI/HBN has provided FREE mental health and learning evaluations as well as language screens to over 2,000 children ages 5-21 on Staten Island. Of those children, 48% children enrolled in the HBN were diagnosed for the first time during their participation. All families who enrolled in this study were given comprehensive feedback reports and a one-on-one session to discuss their child's results with the licensed clinician who conducted the evaluation.
​
The work of the CMI on Staten Island doesn’t end with the HBN. When our office asked the CMI to help identify other ways to integrate mental health care into primary care, the CMI launched a unique pilot providing pediatricians in our borough with an easy to use iPad screening tool for use during well visits. The tool allows pediatricians to easily screen their patients for behavioral, emotional, and other complex mental health issues that require attention and is currently offered in both English and Spanish. Over 2,000 parents and children have completed this screening tool thus far with 11.8% of patients meeting levels of clinical concern for emotional problems, 8.9% for ADHD, and 6.9% for eating disorders. A staggering 4.8% reported suicidal ideation, and 11.9% reported being the victim of bullying.

​Borough President James Oddo sponsored a Lyme Disease Awareness Forum on Monday, June 17th. This free event took place at 7pm at Wagner College (1 Campus Road) in a Spiro Hall lecture room. Over 150 Staten Islanders came out to learn how to protect themselves and their loved ones from ticks and Lyme disease. After having to reschedule in May due to inclement weather, we were extremely pleased to hold a standing room only event.
 
“Our quest to mitigate the growing number of Staten Islanders suffering from Lyme disease is being fought on many fronts, and educating the public about the disease and how it is spread is a vital step. We will continue to raise awareness on this topic because it is real and it is affecting Staten Islanders,” said Borough President Oddo.
 
At the forum, researchers from NYC DOHMH presented an update on their surveillance measures with statistical updates on the incidence of Lyme disease cases in New York City and on Staten Island as well as information on the black-legged ticks that are vectors for the disease. Borough President Oddo was pleased to hear their tick surveillance has been increased from 14 to 24 sites in parks across our borough and that they will be implementing Met52 in their tick control measures, a fungus based approach that kills ticks without hurting any other invertebrates.
 
Maria Diuk-Wasser, Associate Professor and Researcher at Columbia University, presented information on how exactly ticks get around and where people are exposed to ticks. Can you guess how ticks ‘move’ around parks in New York City? That’s right – deer. Deer are where ticks meet and reproduce. She stressed that connectivity is key, as only parks close to other parks in NYC have ticks. Parks surrounded by vegetation and are more connected to others by habitat corridors have more ticks infected with the Lyme bacteria. We continue fight for ways to control the deer population to also reduce the tick numbers and Lyme cases on Staten Island.
 
Attendees also heard from Dr. Christopher J. Pappas, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Manhattanville College, who talked about what attracts the different types of ticks we have on Staten Island, how to avoid them and prevent tick bites, as well as do’s and don’ts on tick removal. Among many tips, one that stuck out: make sure to put clothes in the dryer, not the washer to kill ticks. Drying ticks out kills the ticks.

Dr. Ernest Visconti, pediatric infectious disease specialist, moderated a question and answer period with the audience following the pretensions.

Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School tabled at the event showing their school projects to educate Staten Islanders on how to protect themselves from ticks and Lyme disease. 
 
Here is the link to the PowerPoint presentations from the forum: http://www.statenislandusa.com/lymeforumslides.

​On Thursday, June 14th, Borough President Oddo joined with members of the NYPD, District Attorney Mike McMahon, and the DOE to congratulate the 5th and 7th grade students who participated in the "Too Good For Drugs" program at PS 21 and St. Adalbert's School.

The “Too Good For Drugs” curriculum is co-taught in the classroom by a police officer and a teacher. The program, which is in its fourth year, takes place in 5th, 7th and 9th grade classes in public and parochial schools across the borough.
 
"The amazing officers have taught us to be a good influence on others," said PS 21 students thanking the NYPD officers for teaching the ‘Too Good For Drugs’ Curriculum. “Thank you and stay safe.”
 
Laura Timoney, BP Oddo's Deputy Director of Education, address the students speaking on why the 'Too Good For Drug" Program is important: “You all know you do better on a test when you study. That’s what this program exist for: to prepare you for the time when you’re faced with a tough decision of following along with your friends or choosing to say no."

At the end of the ceremony, students took a pledge to abstain from tobacco, alcohol and drugs, led by NYPD Chief Kenneth Corey.

Borough President James Oddo is pleased to announce the encouraging results of a Borough Hall-led pilot program that adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the positive impact of exercise on academic achievement.

Borough President Oddo was inspired to pursue physical education reform after reading Dr. John Ratey’s bestselling book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain which presented a critical mass of scientific evidence demonstrating the connection between exercise and brain development. In Spark, Dr. Ratey provided scores of case studies and academic findings that support his conclusion that aerobic exercise is “Miracle-Gro for the brain.”

The opening chapter of Spark details how the Naperville, Illinois school district significantly improved academic performance by transforming physical education classes. After seeing the documented benefits of a shift from sports-based skill development to a focus on cardiovascular fitness in physical education curricula, Borough President Oddo was determined to bring this innovative reform to the students of District 31 on Staten Island. As a first step, our office partnered with Principal Deirdre DeAngelis to pilot a Spark-inspired physical education program at New Dorp High School.

A randomly selected group of nearly one hundred ninth grade students began their early morning physical education class with seven minutes—building to 15 by the end of the school year—of intense aerobic exercise. Borough Hall’s graduate data fellowship program monitored the de-identified academic performance of the students in the pilot class and compared their grades in each marking period to those of their ninth grade peers.

At the end of the school year, Borough Hall’s Public Policy Team reviewed the results. Despite curriculum restrictions which limited aerobic activity to, at most, the first 15 minutes of each physical education class, the pilot found promising indications that students in the Spark pilot were gaining ground, as compared to their peers in the control group.

“Given the potential impact of Spark on the academic performance of public school students—not to mention the ancillary benefits on health, behavior, and personal development—a rigorous evaluation is the logical next step necessary to realize transformative physical education reform,” said Borough President Oddo. “A shift to aerobic exercise, if done right, could contribute to leveling the playing field for all students in New York City schools.”

The results of the study can be viewed here.

Based on the findings from the Borough Hall-led pilot, the Borough President is calling on the de Blasio administration to partner with Borough Hall to launch a large-scale pilot across public schools on Staten Island with full fidelity to the cardiovascular fitness model.

“I applaud Staten Island for applying the science of exercise to bolster student achievement, with measurable, positive results. This is only with 12 minutes of intense exercise three times a week.  It is wonderful to see the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of Borough President Oddo taking it to the next level and wanting to push it even further.  Imagine the possibilities,” said John J. Ratey, MD, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

“(Borough) President Oddo’s study on the potential benefits of vigorous exercise in schools is a fitting exclamation point to National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. The pilot program at New Dorp High School on Staten Island is further evidence that we have only scratched the surface in realizing the power of exercise. To that end, at the direction of President Trump, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is participating in the development of a national strategy to increase youth sports participation and regular physical activity. I thank the Borough President for his leadership on this important issue—and for doing the hard work on the ground to publish these important findings,” said Anthony C. Ferreri, DBA Regional Director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Region II.

“Starting my day observing our ninth grade students engaged in rigorous aerobic activity is exciting, but it is the improvement in the academic data of these students that really makes me a believer in the SPARK experience. So thankful that our school staff and students are always ready to try something new, especially something that can make a difference,” said Deirdre A. DeAngelis, Principal, New Dorp High School.

“In an effort to educate the ninth grade students of the Institute of Health Science, on the importance of physical activity, we have begun to implement the SPARK program to supplement our current physical education curriculum. We have seen an increase in interest from our students in the areas that the SPARK program emphasizes (beating stress and anxiety, improving body and mind, and sharpening thinking skills). The evidence has been undeniable. By implementing this program, we have seen that aerobic physical activity in the morning stimulates the brain and increases maximum academic performance throughout the school day,” said Richard Rucireto, Assistant Principal of Health & Physical Education and Supervisor of the Institute of Health Sciences, New Dorp High School.

​Borough President James S. Oddo is pleased to announce his initiatives regarding his work to improve school nutrition and wellness.
 
“Policies matter. Leadership matters. Outcomes can change. Problems can be resolved. Science, data, empathy, creativity – all play a role. Our team at Borough Hall leaves no stone unturned when it comes to finding ways to better the lives of Staten Islanders, and food policy and the role of nutrition and education in schools is no exception,” said Borough President Oddo. “Thank you to the Staten Island Child Wellness Initiative for your fight working to overcome childhood obesity on Staten Island, and thank you to our community partners for working with us on these vital initiatives to improve the lives of Staten Island students.”
 
Below is list of school nutrition and wellness initiative partnerships Borough President Oddo is working on that were announced at today’s 4th Annual Staten Island School Garden Summit:
 
Our office has partnered with the Department of Education’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) for a Staten Island Fresh Fruit and Vegetable of the Month Island-wide Pilot. This pilot, which will be run on Staten Island in Prek-8 Lunch Menus at participating schools, will feature a highlighted fruit or vegetable of the month from September 2019 – June 2020. Additionally, student advocates will be chosen by their school principal to represent the fruit or vegetable of the month item during their lunch period. They will circulate a card featuring a plant-based recipe including the highlighted fruit or vegetable of the month. Peer to peer has proven to be one of the best ways to deliver the nutritional education message. We are working to expand this pilot program.
 
Our office has partnered with United Activities Unlimited (UAU) to create a solution to the lack of maintenance for school gardens over the summer months. Our offices are working together to enable the Summer Youth Employment Program children to maintain the gardens while the schools are out of session. We have also facilitated communication between Brian Licata of UAU and the Snug Harbor farmers to involve their expertise in order to keep these produce gardens alive over the summer.
 
Our office has partnered with City Harvest and Staten Island Performing Provider System (SI PPS) to work together to expand Cooking Matters at School, a 6-week hands-on cooking and nutrition program integrated into the school day curriculum. City Harvest and SI PPS have come together to fund a nutritionist and are working directly with our office to bring this course back to the classrooms with a plant-based twist on it.
 
While speaking on the Borough Presidents on NYC Food Policy panel that took place in April at Hunter College, Borough President Oddo was introduced to the company Beetbox. Beetbox fills teaching gaps in Early Education by using food as a vehicle to teach STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and eliminates the need for teachers to prepare and plan. Teachers receive monthly learning kits which include detailed lesson plans, required materials, and fresh ingredients. Every Beetbox includes science experiments, planting, cooking, art and engineering projects, literacy, dramatic play, decomposition studies, and songs. Our office is working to fund Beetboxes for a number of schools in the 2019-2020 school-year.
 
Garden to Café is a DOE program that connects school and community gardens with school lunch meals through seasonal harvest events and educational activities. Currently the program is active in 200 schools within NYC, about 12 of which are on Staten Island. However, procurement of fresh fruits and vegetables is most difficult within this program. Our office is working with OFNS and Snug Harbor Cultural Center to see if it is possible to buy local by using Snug’s produce in the Garden to Café program and ease the burden of procurement.

​Borough President James S. Oddo is pleased to announce that he will host another round of free thyroid cancer screenings at Borough Hall. The screenings will take place on Wednesday, May 29th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Conference Room 125. The screenings are sponsored by HeartScan Services.
 
The rate of diagnosis of thyroid cancer has increased in recent years due to improvements to technology. In many cases, physicians cannot feel a nodule, but cancer can be detected through ultrasound screenings. The survival rate of thyroid cancer is very high when the cancer is found in early stages.
 
 “I am grateful to once again partner with HeartScan Services to provide this important service for Staten Islanders. I understand the importance of engaging in preventative measures and taking charge of your health, which is why I encourage all Staten Islanders to take advantage of these free screenings. The earlier cancer is found, the easier it is to treat,” said Borough Presdient Oddo.
 
An appointment must be made to be screened. Contact Renee Sarno at 718-816-2133 to reserve your appointment or register below.

​Borough President James Oddo will sponsor a Lyme Disease Forum in May to update Staten Islanders about the prevalence of ticks and tick-borne illness on Staten Island. This free event will be held on Wednesday, May 29th from 7:00-8:30pm at the Bernikow JCC (1466 Manor Road) and coincides with May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
 
At this forum, The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and researchers from Columbia University will present important information about Lyme disease and the black-legged ticks that are vectors for the disease. DOHMH staff will also provide statistical updates on the incidence of Lyme disease cases in New York City and on Staten Island. There will also be presentations on tick precautions and removal. There will be a demonstration of how mice bait boxes—or mice “car washes”—work, one of the tick control measures that New York City is undertaking at the urging of Borough President Oddo.
 
Topics to be discussed at the event include basic facts about Lyme disease, symptoms and health impacts, public safety tips, precautions when exploring natural areas, and do’s and don’ts on tick removal. A question and answer period with the audience will follow the presentations.
 
Speakers at the event include:

• Members of NYC DOHMH including Sally Slavinski, DVM, MPH, Assistant Director, Zoonotic and Vector borne Disease Unit; John Zuzworsky, Senior Vector Ecologist, Office of Vector Surveillance and Control; and Mario Merlino, Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Veterinary and Pest Control Services
• Maria Diuk-Wasser, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Columbia University
• Christopher J. Pappas, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Manhattanville College

 
“Our quest to mitigate the growing number of Staten Islanders suffering from Lyme disease is being fought on many fronts, and educating the public about the disease and how it is spread is a vital step,” said Borough President Oddo. “The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology at Columbia University are working with us on the front lines to combat ticks and the spread of Lyme disease. It is essential Staten Islanders gain as much information as possible to be able to protect themselves.”
 
If you wish to attend the forum, please RSVP to Diane Marciuliano at (718) 816-2246 or DMarciuliano@statenislandusa.com.
 
The Borough President’s previous Lyme disease Forum in August 2016 attracted over 100 individuals.

On Wednesday, April 10th, Borough President James S. Oddo, District Attorney Mike McMahon, and the technology company Uber announced a continuation of their partnership that began on Thanksgiving Eve in 2017 to combat drunk driving. At the press conference, they announced the availability of free Uber rides on Cinco de Mayo to allow Staten Islanders to arrive safely home after their celebrations.
 
Between the hours of 3pm-11:59pm on Sunday, May 5th, Staten Island residents can open up their Uber apps and enter the promo code “SAFERIDE19” to unlock two free rides (up to $10 each way). The ride must start and end in Staten Island. Codes will work on a first come, first served basis as the number of free rides available through this promotion will be limited.
 
Each trip has a maximum value of $10. If a ride costs more than $10, riders will receive that much as a credit and will be responsible for the remaining fee due.
 
When taking an Uber, be sure to always put personal safety first. Before getting in the vehicle, take a second to double-check the app for your driver’s information, which includes matching the license plate number, matching the car’s make and model, and checking the driver’s photo. Riders should also be aware of the safety center features within the app. The features include an emergency assistance in-app button that allows users to call 911 to get help if you need it, as well as a Share My Trip option that allows users to set up trusted contacts and create reminders to share your trip status with friends and family in real time.
 
The Carl V. Bini Fund, the Forest Avenue BID, the South Shore BID, and the Richmond County Bar Association are also sponsoring this initiative. 
 
“I am grateful to be able to continue our successful SI Safe Ride initiative on another big party night. We don’t want a single person getting behind the wheel drunk,” said Borough President Oddo. “If you plan on celebrating Cinco de Mayo this year, please do so responsibly and leave your car at home. Thank you to DA McMahon and Uber for partnering with us to promote safe and sober driving on Staten Island.”
 
“Continuing on the success of our SI Safe Ride Initiative, I am thrilled to join Borough President Oddo and Uber to once again make this offer available to Staten Islanders,” said District Attorney Michael E. McMahon. “As prosecutors, we see firsthand the devastating consequences of drunk driving, so we encourage everyone to make the responsible decision while celebrating Cinco de Mayo this year and take advantage of this promotion.”
  
“When people have access to a convenient, reliable way to get home, they're able to make safer choices. We're proud to partner with Borough President Oddo and DA McMahon to help encourage Staten Islanders to leave the keys at home on Cinco de Mayo and take a safe ride,” said DeShawn Wright, Senior Manager for Public Affairs at Uber.
 
The free rides are part of the “SI Safe Ride” initiative, which launched in November of 2017. Nearly 3,000 Staten Islanders participated in the initial promotion, which allowed users to get free rides on Thanksgiving Eve in an effort to combat drunk driving. “SI Safe Ride” was created through a partnership between Borough President James Oddo, the technology company Uber, District Attorney Mike McMahon, the NYPD, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
 
A report by Uber and MADD concludes that when empowered with more transportation options like Uber, people are making responsible choices that result in fewer alcohol-related crashes.

Uber has been proven to help reduce drunk driving across America. For example, DUI arrests in Seattle decreased by more than 10% after Uber started serving riders and drivers in the city, according to a study.  An independent study conducted by Temple University found cities where Uber operates have 3.6%-5.6% fewer drunk driving deaths than cities without access to ridesharing.
 
In 2003, Oddo and McMahon, then City Council Members, sponsored “Operation Arrive Alive,” a similar, though low-tech initiative that relied on bartenders to call a cab for patrons who requested one.  “SI Safe Ride” is different in that it allows patrons themselves to summon an Uber in the way they are accustomed to.  
 
Initiative sponsors, the Forest Avenue BID and the South Shore BID, include the following nightlife establishments: Curly Wolf Saloon, Play, Joyce’s Tavern, Campania, Talk of The Town, Flanagan’s Tavern, Marmar Restaurant, Jody's Club Forest, Liberty Tavern, Ho Brah A Taco Joint, Cafe Milano, Kettle Black, Kings Arms Diner, 3 Guys Sushi, Panini Grill, Burrito Bar & Restaurant, Duffy's, Bruno's, Li Greci's Staaten, Casa Franco.